Bosses at Cambridge's giant Addenbrooke's Hospital are monitoring its £200m computer system in the wake of a cyber attack on other hospitals.

Nearly 40 hospital trusts are reported to have had their systems hacked by criminals demanding ransom money not to eradicate patients' records.

A spokesman for Addenbrooke's said there was no evidence yet of any attack on the Cambridge hospital, but staff there are remaining vigilant.

Under pressure - Addenbrooke's A&E department

The hospital has also urged people not to come to A&E unless it is an emergency.

Other hospitals in neighbouring areas are among those that have been targetted by the hackers, including the East and North Herts Trust, and the Essex Partnership, and restrictions on services in those hospitals has put added pressure on Addenbrooke's.

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A message on the Cambridge hospital website says: "We are seeing an extraordinary surge in demand on our A&E department. Please do not to come to A&E unless it is an emergency or your condition is life-threatening."

The spokesman said: "Addenbrooke's has not been involved in the attacks and we are staying alert.

"But the fact that other hospitals in the area have been affected means we are under more pressure here.

"We're asking people not to come to A&E unless it's an emergency."

Addenbrooke's A&E plea

In some of the hospitals hit elsewhere, operations have been cancelled, and MRI and CT scans have been shelved because computer systems have had to be turned off.